Silicon nanophotonics for on-chip light manipulation

The field of silicon nanophotonics has attracted considerable attention in the past decade because of its unique advantages,including complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor（CMOS） compatibility and the ability to achieve an ultra-high integration density. In particular, silicon nanophotonic integrated devices for on-chip light manipulation have been developed successfully and have played very import roles in various applications. In this paper, we review the recent progress of silicon nanophotonic devices for on-chip light manipulation, including the static type and the dynamic type. Static onchip light manipulation focuses on polarization/mode manipulation, as well as light nanofocusing, while dynamic on-chip light manipulation focuses on optical modulation/switching. The challenges and prospects of high-performance silicon nanophotonic integrated devices for on-chip light manipulation are discussed.

A Notional Duette on Nanophotonics Fundamentals

A two-part Notional Synthesis on Nanophotonics Fundamentals is being carried out: On the one hand, a rather novel depiction of the Fermionic Quantum Causality is being attempted. On the other hand, a Nanophotonic Response Encoder is being devised: Illuminated Electrons are the original Protagonists.

Nanophotonics in China： Overviews and highlights

The major purpose of this paper is to present a brief overview of the history and the current status of nanophotonics research in China, and to highlight some research results in the past years made by the Chinese nanophotonics communities. I will first briefly introduce the principles of nanophotonics and several of its major disciplines including photonic crystals, plasmonics and metamaterials, and related artificial acoustic structures. Then I will highlight some major progresses made by Chinese research groups in these areas with the selection made merely based on my personal taste. The aim is to let these results better known and appreciated by researchers in the Chinese communities of nanophotonics and related areas, and provide better opportunities of researchers in different areas to have more communications. I also hope that this brief introduction will help to make a better bridge to connect Chinese nanophotonics communities with the broader communities in the world.

State-of-the-art developments in metal and carbon-based semiconducting nanomaterials： applications and functions in spintronics, nanophotonics, and nanomagnetics

Nanomaterials composed of metals and metal alloys are the most valuable components in emerging micro- and nano-electronic devices and innovations to date. The composition of these nanomaterials, their quantum chemical and physical properties, and their production methods are in critical need of summarization, so that a complete state of the art of the present and future of nanotechnologies can be presented. In this review, we report on the most recent activities and results in the fields of spintronics, nanophotonics, and nanomagnetics, with particular emphasis on metallic nanoparticles in alloys and pure metals, as well as in organic combinations and in relation to carbon-based nanostructures. This review shows that the combinatory synthesis of alloys with rare metals, such as scandium, yttrium, and rare earths imparts valuable qualities to high-magnetic-field compounds, and provides unique properties with emphasis on nanoelectronic and computational components. In this review, we also shed light on the methods of synthesis and the background of spintronic, nanomagnetic, and nanophotonic materials, with applications in optics, diagnostics, nanoelectronics, and computational nanotechnology. The review is important for the industrial development of novel materials, and for summarizing both fabrication and manufacturing methods, as well as principles and functions of metallic nanoparticles.

Chinese Optics Letters(《中国光学快报》)2009年“Nanophotonics”和“Digital and Computer-Generated Holography”专题征稿启事

(Chinese Optics Letters(《中国光学快报》)计划于2009年10月在正刊上推出'Nanophotonics'('纳米光子学')专题,特向国内外广大读者以及作者征集该方面原创性的研究论文。征稿范围包括:·Metamaterials:negative index,cloaking and nonlinear

Experimental control of optical helicity in nanophotonics

An analysis of light–matter interactions based on symmetries can provide valuable insight,particularly because it reveals which quantities are conserved and which ones can be transformed within a physical system.In this context,helicity can be a useful addition to more commonly considered observables such as angular momentum.The question arises how to treat helicity,the projection of the total angular momentum onto the linear momentum direction,in practical experiments.In this paper,we put forward a simple but versatile experimental treatment of helicity.We then apply the proposed method to the scattering of light by isolated cylindrical nanoapertures in a gold film.This allows us to study the helicity transformation taking place during the interaction of focused light with the nanoapertures.In particular,we observe from the transmitted light that the scaling of the helicity transformed component with the aperture size is very different to the direct helicity component.

International Symposium on Photonics, Biophotonics,and Nanophotonics'2005

The "International Symposium on Photonics, Biophotonics, and Nanophotonics’2005", sponsored by Chinese Optical Society (COS), State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY at Buffalo), and Southeast University (SEU), will be held on May 14 - 18, 2005 at Nanjing, China. This conference will provide an international forum for the most recent and advanced issues concerning photonics, biophotonics, and nanophotonics. There will be a number of invited talks presented by pioneers and leading scientists in the fields of photonics, biophotonics, and nanophotonics. In particular, a tutorial session will be presented by Prof. Paras N. Prasad to discuss biophotonics and nanophotonics.

Forewords Special Topic Issue on Nanophotonics

This Special Topic Issue has grown out of research that has been highlighted at the Nanophotonics Conference series held in China for the past three years. The fourteen papers appearing in this issue are a small sampling of the total scope of the Conference. Broadly speaking, the subjects covered by the contributing authors include quantum properties using semiconductor materials, nanocharacterization especially with applications to medical fields, photonic crystals and fibers, and plasmonics.

Nonlinear frequency conversion in optical nanoantennas and metasurfaces:materials evolution and fabrication

Nonlinear frequency conversion is one of the most fundamental processes in nonlinear optics.It has a wide range of applications in our daily lives,including novel light sources,sensing,and information processing.It is usually assumed that nonlinear frequency conversion requires large crystals that gradually accumulate a strong effect.However,the large size of nonlinear crystals is not compatible with the miniaturisation of modern photonic and optoelectronic systems.Therefore,shrinking the nonlinear structures down to the nanoscale,while keeping favourable conversion efficiencies,is of great importance for future photonics applications.In the last decade,researchers have studied the strategies for enhancing the nonlinear efficiencies at the nanoscale,e.g.by employing different nonlinear materials,resonant couplings and hybridization techniques.In this paper,we provide a compact review of the nanomaterials-based efforts,ranging from metal to dielectric and semiconductor nanostructures,including their relevant nanofabrication techniques.

Optical wafer defect inspection at the 10 nm technology node and beyond

The growing demand for electronic devices, smart devices, and the Internet of Things constitutes the primary driving force for marching down the path of decreased critical dimension and increased circuit intricacy of integrated circuits. However, as sub-10 nm high-volume manufacturing is becoming the mainstream, there is greater awareness that defects introduced by original equipment manufacturer components impact yield and manufacturing costs. The identification, positioning, and classification of these defects, including random particles and systematic defects, are becoming more and more challenging at the 10 nm node and beyond.Very recently, the combination of conventional optical defect inspection with emerging techniques such as nanophotonics, optical vortices, computational imaging, quantitative phase imaging, and deep learning is giving the field a new possibility. Hence, it is extremely necessary to make a thorough review for disclosing new perspectives and exciting trends, on the foundation of former great reviews in the field of defect inspection methods. In this article, we give a comprehensive review of the emerging topics in the past decade with a focus on three specific areas:(a) the defect detectability evaluation,(b) the diverse optical inspection systems,and(c) the post-processing algorithms. We hope, this work can be of importance to both new entrants in the field and people who are seeking to use it in interdisciplinary work.

Photoluminescence control by hyperbolic metamaterials and metasurfaces:a review

Photolu min esce nee in clud ing fluoresce nee plays a great role in a wide variety of applicati ons from biomedical sensing and imag ing to optoelectr on ics.Therefore,the enhan ceme nt and con trol of photolu min esce nee has imme nse impact on both fun dame ntal scie ntific research and aforeme nti oned applicati ons.Among various nano phot tonic schemes and nanostructures to enhance the photoluminescence,we focus on a certain type of nanostructures,hyperbolic metamaterials(HMMs).HMMs are highly ani sotropic metamaterials,which produce intense localized electric fields.Therefore,HMMs n aturally boost photolu min esce nee from dye molecules,qua ntum dots,n itroge n-vaca ncy cen ters in diam on ds,perovskites and tra nsiti on metal dichalcoge nides.We provide an overview of various con figuratio ns of HMMs,i nclud ing metal-dielectric multilayers,trenches,metallic nanowires,and cavity structures fabricated with the use of noble metals,transparent conductive oxides,and refractory metals as plasmonic elements.We also discuss lasing action realized with HMMs.

Diurnal cooling for continuous thermal sources under direct subtropical sunlight produced by quasi-Cantor structure

In this paper, an optical radiative cooler with quasi-Cantor structure is theoretically proposed and analyzed. This simple and symmetrically designed optical structure operates upon continuous thermal sources in diurnal subtropical conditions, and its efficiency is much higher than natural cooling, for instance, when operating upon a typical 323.15 K continuous thermal source with a wind speed at 3 m·s^-1, it can generate a net cooling power of 363.68 W·m^-2, which is 18.26% higher than that of non-radiative heat exchange （natural cooling） under the same conditions. Additionally, several aspects are considered in its design to ensure a low cost in application, which is of great economical and environmental significance.

Acoustic plasmonics of Au grating/Bi2Se3 thin film/sapphire hybrid structures

The surface plasmon polaritons of the topological insulator Bi2Se3 can be excited by using etched grating or grave structures to compensate the wave vector mismatch of the incident photon and plasmon. Here, we demonstrate novel gold grating/Bi2Se3 thin film/sapphire hybrid structures, which allow the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons propagating through nondestructive Bi2Se3 thin film with the help of gold diffractive gratings. Utilizing periodic Au surface structures,the momentum can be matched and the normal-incidence infrared reflectance spectra exhibit pronounced dips. When the width of the gold grating W(with a periodicity 2 W) increases from 400 nm to 1500 nm, the resonant frequencies are tuned from about 7000 cm-1 to 2500 cm-1. In contrast to the expected ■ dispersion for both massive and massless fermions,where q ~π/W is the wave vector, we observe a sound-like linear dispersion even at room temperature. This surface plasmon polaritons with linear dispersion are attributed to the unique noninvasive fabrication method and high mobility of topological surface electrons. This novel structure provides a promising application of Dirac plasmonics.

Daytime Radiative Cooling:Artificial and Bioinspired Strategies

Traditional cooling systems have been posing a significant challenge to the global energy crisis and climate change due to the high energy consumption of the cooling process.In recent years,the emerging daytime radiative cooling provides a promising solution to address the bottleneck of traditional cooling technology by passively dissipating heat radiation to outer space without any energy consumption through the atmospheric transparency window(8~13μm).Whereas its stringent optical criteria require sophisticated and high cost fabrication producers,which hinders the applicability of radiative cooling technology.Many efforts have been devoted to develop high-efficiency and low-cost daytime radiative cooling technologies for practical application,including the nanophotonics based artificial strategy and bioinspired strategy.In order to systematically summarize the development and latest advance of daytime radiative cooling to help developing the most promising approach,here in this paper we will review and compare the two typical strategies on exploring the prospect approach for applicable radiative cooling technology.We will firstly sketch the fundamental of radiative cooling and summarize the common methods for construction radiative cooling devices.Then we will put an emphasis on the summarization and comparison of the two strategies for designing the radiative cooling device,and outlook the prospect and extending application of the daytime radiative cooling technology.

On Negative Differential Mobility in Nanophotonic Device Functionality

A negative differential mobility (NDM) of the two-dimensional carrier-gas against some proper external regulator allowing for gradual controlled modification of the nanointerfacial environment tends to occur as interwoven with nanophotonic device functionality. In this work, several instances, in our two-decade principal research, of both experimental observation and conceptual prediction concerning nanophotonics NDM are reconsidered towards outlining a global potential for the appearance of the effect.

Optical phase front control in a metallic grating with equally spaced alternately tapered slits

A technique capable of focusing and bending electromagnetic （EM） waves through plasmonic gratings with equally spaced alternately tapered slits has been introduced. Phase resonances are observed in the optical response of transmission gratings, and the EM wave passes through the tuning slits in the form of surface plasmon polaritons （SPPs） and obtains the required phase retardation to focus at the focal plane. The bending effect is achieved by constructing an asymmetric phase front which results from the tapered slits and gradient refractive index （GRIN） distribution of the dielectric material. Rigorous electromagnetic analysis by using the two-dimensional （2D） finite difference time domain （FDTD） method is employed to verify our proposed designs. When the EM waves are incident at an angle on the optical axis, the beam splitting effect can also be achieved. These index-modulated slits are demonstrated to have unique advantages in beam manipulation compared with the width-modulated ones. In combination with previous studies, it is expected that our results could lead to the realization of ootimum designs for plasmonic nanolenses.

Physiological Fluid Specific Agglomeration Patterns Diminish Gold Nanorod Photothermal Characteristics

Investigations into the use of gold nanorods (Au-NRs) for biological applications are growing exponentially due to their distinctive physicochemical properties, which make them advantageous over other nanomaterials. Au-NRs are particularly renowned for their plasmonic characteristics, which generate a robust photothermal response when stimulated with light at a wavelength matching their surface plasmon resonance. Numerous reports have explored this nanophotonic phenomenon for temperature driven therapies;however, to date there is a significant knowledge gap pertaining to the kinetic heating profile of Au-NRs within a controlled physiological setting. In the present study, the impact of environmental composition on Au-NR behavior and degree of laser actuated thermal production was assessed. Through acellular evaluation, we identified a loss of photothermal efficiency in biologically relevant fluids and linked this response to excessive particle aggregation and an altered Au-NR spectral profile. Furthermore, to evaluate the potential impact of solution composition on the efficacy of nano-based biological applications, the degree of targeted cellular destruction was ascertained in vitro and was found to be susceptible to fluid-dependent modifications. In summary, this study identified a diminution of Au-NR nanophotonic response in artificial physiological fluids that translated to a loss of application efficiency, pinpointing a critical concern that must be considered to advance in vivo, nano-based bio-applications.

Stepwise colloidal lithography toward scalable and various planar chiral metamaterials

Chiral metamaterials(CMs)composed by artificial chiral resonators have attracted great attentions in the recent decades due to their strong chiroptical resonance and identifiable interaction with chiral materials,facilitating practical applications in chiral biosensing,chiral emission,and display technology.However,the complex geometry of CMs improves the fabrication difficulty and hinders their scalable fabrication for practical applications,especially in the visible and ultraviolet wavelengths.One potential strategy is the colloidal lithography that enables parallel fabrication for scalable and various planar structures.Here,we demonstrate a stepwise colloidal lithography technique that uses sequential deposition from multiple CMs and expand their variety and complexity.The geometry and optical chirality of building blocks from single deposition are systematically investigated,and their combination enables a significant extension of the range of chiral patterns by multiple-step depositions.This approach resulted in a myriad of complex designs with different characteristic sizes,compositions,and shapes,which are particularly beneficial for the development of nanophotonic materials.In addition,we designed a flexible chiral device based on PDMS,which exhibits a good CD value and excellent stability even after multiple inward and outward bendings.The excellent compatibility to various substrates makes the planar CMs more flexible in practical applications in microfluidic biosensing.

Advanced manufacturing of dielectric metadevices

Metasurfaces,composed of two-dimensional nanostructures,exhibit remarkable capabilities in shaping wavefronts,encompassing phase,amplitude,and polarization.This unique proficiency heralds a transformative paradigm shift in the domain of next-generation optics and photonics,culminating in the development of flat and ultrathin optical devices.Particularly noteworthy is the all-dielectric-based metasurface,leveraging materials such as titanium dioxide,silicon,gallium arsenide,and silicon nitride,which finds extensive application in the design and implementation of high-performance optical devices,owing to its notable advantages,including a high refractive index,low ohmic loss,and cost-effectiveness.Furthermore,the remarkable growth in nanofabrication technologies allows for the exploration of new methods in metasurface fabrication,especially through wafer-scale nanofabrication technologies,thereby facilitating the realization of commercial applications for metasurfaces.This review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in state-of-the-art fabrication technologies in dielectric metasurface areas.These technologies,including standard nanolithography[e.g.,electron beam lithography(EBL)and focused ion beam(FIB)lithography],advanced nanolithography(e.g.,grayscale and scanning probe lithography),and large-scale nanolithography[e.g.,nanoimprint and deep ultraviolet(DUV)lithography],are utilized to fabricate highresolution,high-aspect-ratio,flexible,multilayer,slanted,and wafer-scale all-dielectric metasurfaces with intricate nanostructures.Ultimately,we conclude with a perspective on current cutting-edge nanofabrication technologies.